Formerly known as the Ministry of Information and Culture, the Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs seeks to create an environment where: media – including public information services – are independent, pluralistic and accessible to Afghan women and men throughout the country; the cultural heritage of Afghanistan is preserved, protected and handed on to young generations of Afghans as a record of the rich human experience and aspirations in their country, so as to foster cultural creativity in all its diversity; and sport serves as a unifying element in society and is accessible to all, in particular children, women and disabled. The government believes that the emergence of a strong civil society is a key guarantee for independence, pluralism and vitality in the media and culture sectors. The government thus intervenes in a limited number of areas in particular legislative and policy development to promote freedom of expression and freedom of the press, as well as to protect its cultural heritage against looting, illicit traffic and progressive degradation. The government is also committed to upgrade infrastructures and human resources so as to allow all Afghans to benefit from core public services in the area of media, culture and sports, delivered by a modernised public sector.